DOCSLIB.ORG

Ganden Phodrang (1642 – 1951/59)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ganden Phodrang (1642 – 1951/59) Ganden Phodrang (1642 – 1951/59) Foir Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism The end of Mongol overlordship (1642-1644) Relationship with Ming China (before 1644) Relationship with Qing China (1644 – 1911) Sino-Nepalese War (1788-1789) Special topic: Tibetan medicine Four Major schools of Tibetan Buddhism The four main ones overlap markedly, such that "about eighty percent or more of the features of the Tibetan schools are the same". Differences include the use of apparently, but not actually, contradictory terminology, opening dedications of texts to different deities and whether phenomena are described from the viewpoint of an unenlightened practitioner or of a Buddha. On questions of philosophy they have no fundamental differences, according to the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The Tibetan adjectival suffix -pa is translatable as "-ist" in English. Another common but trivial differentiation is into the Yellow Hat (Gelug) and Red Hat (non-Gelug) sects, a division that mirrors the distinction between the schools. Nyingma "The Ancient Ones" are the oldest Buddhist school, the original order founded by Padmasambhava and Śāntarakṣita. Whereas other schools categorize their teachings into the two yānas or "vehicles", Hinayana and Mahayana a, the Nyingma tradition classifies its teachings into Nine Yānas. Kagyu “Lineage of the (Buddha's) Word”. This is an oral tradition which is very much concerned with the experiential dimension of meditation. Its most famous exponent was Milarepa, an 11th-century mystic. In the 20th century it was represented by the teacher Kalu Rinpoche. Sakya The "Grey Earth" school represents the scholarly tradition. Headed by the Sakya Trizin, this tradition was founded by Khön Könchok Gyelpo (1034–1102), a disciple of the great lotsāwa Drogmi Shākya and traces its lineage to the mahasiddha Virūpa. A renowned exponent, Sakya Pandita (1182–1251CE), was the great-grandson of Khön Könchok Gyelpo. Gelug The "Way of Virtue" school was originally a reformist movement and is known for its emphasis on logic and debate. The order was founded in the 14th to 15th century by Je Tsongkhapa, renowned for both his scholarship and virtue. Its spiritual head is the Ganden Tripa (1434 – 1432) and its temporal one the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is regarded as the embodiment of Buddha Avalokiteśvara. Successive Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet from the mid-17th to mid-20th centuries. Ganden Phodrang regime founded by the 5th Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso in 1642. In that year, Güshi Khan of the Khoshut formally transferred the old possessions of Sakya, Rinpung and Phagmodrupa to the "Great Fifth". In 1641 the leader of the Khoshut Mongols of the Kokonor region, Güshi Khan, set out from his home area and attacked the king of Beri in Kham, who was a practitioner of the Bon religion and persecuted Buddhist lamas. Güshi Khan had been in contact with "the Great Fifth" since 1637 and was a major champion for his cause. After having defeated Beri, he proceeded to invade Tsang. Justification for this was found in the alliance between Beri and Tsang, which allegedly aimed at eradicating the Gelugpa. The Dalai Lama was opposed to a Mongol invasion which would have devastating effects on Central Tibet, but was not able to change the course of things. Güshi Khan's reputation as an invincible commander rendered resistance weak. The Tsangpa stronghold, Shigatse, was captured after a long and bloody siege in March 1642. Karma Tenkyong was taken prisoner with his foremost ministers and kept in custody in Neu near Lhasa. After a revolt by Tsangpa supporters in the same year, the incensed Güshi Khan ordered Karma Tenkyong placed in an oxhide bag and drowned in a river. Güshi Khan, who founded the Khoshut Khanate presented Ü, Tsang and part of East Tibet to the Dalai Lama to rule. In this way began the religious Ganden Phodrang regime that would last until 1950. Relationship with Ming China (1209 – 1644) As early as in 1587 Emperor Wanli recognized Dalai Lama as the sole ruler of Tibet. The Rise of Manchu Power in Northeast Asia (c. 1600-1644) and the foundation of Qing Dynasty Nurhaci (Manchu: ᠨᡠ ᡵ ᡤᠠ ᠴᡳ ; (1559 – 1626) was a Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late 16th century in Manchuria. Nurhaci was part of the Aisin Gioro clan, and reigned from 1616 to his death in September 1626. Nurhaci reorganised and united various Jurchen tribes (the later "Manchu"), consolidated the Eight Banners military system, and eventually launched attacks on Ming China and Joseon Korea. His conquest of Ming China's northeastern Liaoning province laid the groundwork for the conquest of the rest of China by his descendants, who founded the Qing dynasty in 1644. Meanwhile in Tibet: Lobsang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, (1617–1682) was the first Dalai Lama to wield effective political power over central Tibet. The Fifth Dalai Lama's first regent Sonam Rapten is known for unifying the Tibetan heartland under the control of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, after defeating the rival sects and the secular ruler, the Tsangpa prince, in a prolonged civil war. Under Sonam Rapten's regime, him being a fanatical and militant proponent of the Gelugpa, the other schools were then persecuted. Their monasteries were either closed or forcibly converted, and that school remained in hiding until the latter part of the 20th century. However, before leaving Tibet for China in 1652 the Dalai Lama issued a proclamation or decree to Sonam Rapten banning all such sectarian policies that had been implemented by his administration after the 1642 civil war, and ordered their reversal. The 5th Dalai Lama and his intimates especially Sonam Rapten (until his death in 1658) established a civil administration which is referred to by historians as the Ganden Phodrang. In 1652, the 5th Dalai Lama visited the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was not required to kowtow like other visitors, but still had to kneel before the Emperor; and he was later sent an official seal. The fifth Dalai lama initiated the construction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, and moved the centre of government there from Drepung. The death of the fifth Dalai Lama in 1682 was kept hidden for fifteen years by his assistant, confidant, Desi Sangye Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas remained Tibet's titular heads of state until 1959. During the rule of the Great Fifth, two Jesuit missionaries, the German Johannes Gruber and Belgian Albert Dorville, stayed in Lhasa for two months, October and November, 1661 on their way from Peking to Portuguese Goa, in India. They described the Dalai Lama as a "powerful and compassionate leader" and "a devilish God-the-father who puts to death such as refuse to adore him." Another Jesuit, Ippolito Desideri, stayed five years in Lhasa (1716–1721) and was the first missionary to master the language. He even produced a few Christian books in Tibetan. Capuchin fathers took over the mission until all missionaries were expelled in 1745. In the late 17th century, Tibet entered into a dispute with Bhutan, which was supported by Ladakh. This resulted in an invasion of Ladakh by Tibet. Kashmir helped to restore Ladakhi rule, on the condition that a mosque be built in Leh and that the Ladakhi king convert to Islam. The Treaty of Temisgam in 1684 settled the dispute between Tibet and Ladakh, but its independence was severely restricted. The Dzungar Khanate under Tsewang Rabtan invaded Tibet in 1717, deposed the pretender to the position of Dalai Lama Lhabzang Khan, who was the last ruler of the Khoshut Khanate. The Dzungars killed Lhazang Khan and his entire family. They also destroyed a small force at the Battle of the Salween River, which the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty had sent to clear traditional trade routes in 1718. In response, an expedition sent by the Kangxi Emperor, together with Tibetan forces under Polhanas of Tsang and Kangchennas (also spelled Gangchenney), the governor of Western Tibet, expelled the Dzungars from Tibet in 1720 as patrons and liberators of Tibet. The Qing installed a new, more popular Dalai Lama, Kelzang Gyatso as the 7th Dalai Lama and left behind a garrison of 3,000 men in Lhasa. In time, the Qing came to see themselves as overlords of Tibet and Tibet was turned into a protectorate by the Manchus. T he Qing removed the indigenous civil government that had existed in Lhasa since the rule of the 5th Dalai Lama, and created a Tibetan cabinet or council of ministers known as the Kashag in 1721. This council was to govern Tibet under the close supervision of the Chinese garrison commander (amban) stationed in Lhasa, who frequently interfered with Kashag decisions, especially when Chinese interests were involved. Khangchenné would be the first ruling prince to lead the Kashag under Qing overlordship. This began the period of Qing administrative rule of Tibet, which lasted until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Qing had made the region of Amdo and Kham into the province of Qinghai in 1724, and incorporated eastern Kham into neighbouring Chinese provinces in 1728. The Qing government ruled these areas indirectly through the Tibetan noblemen. Sino-Nepalese War (1788-1789) also known as Sino-Gorkha war was an invasion of Tibet by Nepal from 1788-1792. The war was initially fought between Nepalese and Tibetan armies over a trade dispute related to a long-standing problem of low-quality coins manufactured by Nepal for Tibet. The Nepalese Army under Bahadur Shah plundered Tibet under Qing rule and Tibetans signed Treaty of Kerung paying annual tribute to Nepal. However, Tibetans requested for Chinese intervention and Sino- Tibetan forces under Fuk'anggan raided Nepal up to Nuwakot only to face strong Nepalese counterattack.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tibetan Buddhism
    Tibetan Buddhism By C. Fred Smith Founders: Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha. The Tibetan form grew out of the teachings Kamalashila who defended traditional Indian Buddhism in Tibet against the Chinese form. Date: Founded between 600 and 400 BC in Northern India; Buddhism influenced Tibetan religion as early as AD 200, but only began to take on its Tibetan character after 792 AD. Its full expression as a Lamaist religion (one dependent on lamas or gurus to guide meditation) began in the 1200s, with the institution of the Dalai Lama in the 1600s. Key Words: Lama, Bon, Reincarnation, Dharma and Sangha BACKGROUND Tibetan Buddhism focuses on disciplined meditation to achieve enlightenment, which is the realization that life is impermanent, and the accompanying state of bliss. Its unusual character, different from other forms of Buddhism, lies in two facts. First, it traces its practices back to the earliest form of Buddhism from Northern India. Certain practices are similar to those of Hindu practitioners,1 and the meditative discipline is similar to that practiced in the first Buddhist Sanghas, or monastic communities. Second, its practices and “peculiar, even eerie character” are a result of its encounter with Bon, the older religion of Tibet, an animistic religion that emphasized shamans, rituals to invoke and appease spirits, and even sacrifices.2 Together, these produce a Buddhism centered on monks and monasteries that is “more colorful and supernatural”3 than other forms such as Zen.4 This form of Buddhism emphasizes the place of the lama, or teacher, who directs his charges in their meditation and ritual practices.
    [Show full text]
  • His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to Visit University of Redlands in Rare U.S
    His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to visit University of Redlands in rare U.S. tour March 18, 2015 The University of Redlands will welcome His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to campus March 24, 2015, as the only Southern California stop on his third trip to the United States. Reigniting a years-long connection with the University and special bond with students, the Karmapa will interact with Redlands students, faculty, and alumni and accept an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, presented by University President Ralph Kuncl. He will then offer a public lecture, "Living Interdependence," at 7 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. The Karmapa heads the 900-year-old Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and guides millions of Buddhists around the world. At the age of 14, he made a dramatic escape from Tibet to India to be near His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his own lineage teachers. Currently 29 years old, the Karmapa is a leader of the new century. He created an eco- monastic movement with over 55 monasteries across the Himalayan region acting as centers of environmental activism. Leading on women's issues, he recently announced plans to establish full ordination for women, a step that will change the future of Tibetan Buddhism. His latest book, The Heart is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out, co-edited by University of Redlands Professor of Religious Studies and Virginia C. Hunsaker Distinguished Teaching Chair, Karen Derris, the Karmapa speaks to the younger generation on the major challenges facing society today, including gender issues, food justice, rampant consumerism and the environmental crisis.
    [Show full text]
  • Charter of the Tibetans-In-Exile
    CHARTER OF THE TIBETANS-IN-EXILE 1991 I Preface His Holiness the Dalai Lama has guided us towards a democratic system of government, in order that the Tibetan people in exile be able to preserve their ancient traditions of spiritual and temporal life, unique to the Tibetans, based on the principles of peace and non-violence, aimed at providing politi- cal, social and economic rights as well as the attainment of justice and equal- ity for all Tibetan people, Efforts shall be made to transform a future Tibet into a Federal Democratic Self-Governing Republic and a zone of peace throughout her three regions, Whereas in particular, efforts shall be made in promoting the achievement of Tibet’s common goal as well as to strengthen the solidarity of Tibetans, both within and outside of Tibet, and to firmly establish a democratic system suit- able to the temporary ideals of the Tibetan people. The Eleventh Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies do hereby promulgate and legalize this Charter of the Tibetans-in-Exile as their fundamental guide. Adopted on June 14, 1991; Second Day of the Fifth Tibetan Month, 2118 Ti- betan Royal Year. II Contents CHAPTER - I FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Article 1 - Commencement 6 Article 2 - Jurisdiction 6 Article 3 - Nature of the Tibetan Polity 6 Article 4 - Principles of the Tibetan Administration 6 Article 5 - Validity of the Charter 6 Article 6 - Recognition of International and Local Law 6 Article 7 - Renunciation of Violence and the Use of Force 6 Article 8 - Citizen of Tibet 6 CHAPTER - II FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND
    [Show full text]
  • VT Module6 Lineage Text Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
    THE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM By Pema Khandro A BIRD’S EYE VIEW 1. NYINGMA LINEAGE a. Pema Khandro’s lineage. Literally means: ancient school or old school. Nyingmapas rely on the old tantras or the original interpretation of Tantra as it was given from Padmasambhava. b. Founded in 8th century by Padmasambhava, an Indian Yogi who synthesized the teachings of the Indian MahaSiddhas, the Buddhist Tantras, and Dzogchen. He gave this teaching (known as Vajrayana) in Tibet. c. Systemizes Buddhist philosophy and practice into 9 Yanas. The Inner Tantras (what Pema Khandro Rinpoche teaches primarily) are the last three. d. It is not a centralized hierarchy like the Sarma (new translation schools), which have a figure head similar to the Pope. Instead, the Nyingma tradition is de-centralized, with every Lama is the head of their own sangha. There are many different lineages within the Nyingma. e. A major characteristic of the Nyingma tradition is the emphasis in the Tibetan Yogi tradition – the Ngakpa tradition. However, once the Sarma translations set the tone for monasticism in Tibet, the Nyingmas also developed a monastic and institutionalized segment of the tradition. But many Nyingmas are Ngakpas or non-monastic practitioners. f. A major characteristic of the Nyingma tradition is that it is characterized by treasure revelations (gterma). These are visionary revelations of updated communications of the Vajrayana teachings. Ultimately treasure revelations are the same dharma principles but spoken in new ways, at new times and new places to new people. Because of these each treasure tradition is unique, this is the major reason behind the diversity within the Nyingma.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Archeology in Mongolia: Zanabazar and the Géluk Diaspora Beyond Tibet
    Buddhist Archeology in Mongolia: Zanabazar and the Géluk Diaspora beyond Tibet Uranchimeg Tsultemin, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Uranchimeg, Tsultemin. 2019. “Buddhist Archeology in Mongolia: Zanabazar and the Géluk Dias- pora beyond Tibet.” Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review (e-journal) 31: 7–32. https://cross-currents.berkeley.edu/e-journal/issue-31/uranchimeg. Abstract This article discusses a Khalkha reincarnate ruler, the First Jebtsundampa Zanabazar, who is commonly believed to be a Géluk protagonist whose alliance with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas was crucial to the dissemination of Buddhism in Khalkha Mongolia. Za- nabazar’s Géluk affiliation, however, is a later Qing-Géluk construct to divert the initial Khalkha vision of him as a reincarnation of the Jonang historian Tāranātha (1575–1634). Whereas several scholars have discussed the political significance of Zanabazar’s rein- carnation based only on textual sources, this article takes an interdisciplinary approach to discuss, in addition to textual sources, visual records that include Zanabazar’s por- traits and current findings from an ongoing excavation of Zanabazar’s Saridag Monas- tery. Clay sculptures and Zanabazar’s own writings, heretofore little studied, suggest that Zanabazar’s open approach to sectarian affiliations and his vision, akin to Tsongkhapa’s, were inclusive of several traditions rather than being limited to a single one. Keywords: Zanabazar, Géluk school, Fifth Dalai Lama, Jebtsundampa, Khalkha, Mongo- lia, Dzungar Galdan Boshogtu, Saridag Monastery, archeology, excavation The First Jebtsundampa Zanabazar (1635–1723) was the most important protagonist in the later dissemination of Buddhism in Mongolia. Unlike the Mongol imperial period, when the sectarian alliance with the Sakya (Tib.
    [Show full text]
  • 17-Point Agreement of 1951 by Song Liming
    FACTS ABOUT THE 17-POINT “Agreement’’ Between Tibet and China Dharamsala, 22 May 22 DIIR PUBLICATIONS The signed articles in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Central Tibetan Administration. This report is compiled and published by the Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala 176 215, H. P., INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.tibet.net and ww.tibet.com CONTENTS Part One—Historical Facts 17-point “Agreement”: The full story as revealed by the Tibetans and Chinese who were involved Part Two—Scholars’ Viewpoint Reflections on the 17-point Agreement of 1951 by Song Liming The “17-point Agreement”: Context and Consequences by Claude Arpi The Relevance of the 17-point Agreement Today by Michael van Walt van Praag Tibetan Tragedy Began with a Farce by Cao Changqing Appendix The Text of the 17-point Agreement along with the reproduction of the original Tibetan document as released by the Chinese government His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Press Statements on the “Agreement” FORWARD 23 May 2001 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 17-point Agreement between Tibet and China. This controversial document, forced upon an unwilling but helpless Tibetan government, compelled Tibet to co-exist with a resurgent communist China. The People’s Republic of China will once again flaunt this dubious legal instrument, the only one China signed with a “minority” people, to continue to legitimise its claim on the vast, resource-rich Tibetan tableland. China will use the anniversary to showcase its achievements in Tibet to justify its continued occupation of the Tibetan Plateau.
    [Show full text]
  • Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog Al Jazeera Top Story
    Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog: Al Jazeera Top Story -- Revisits Court Case against the Dalai Lama 1/15/09 12:32 PM Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog The official blog of the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Website, providing the latest news, videos, and updates on the Dorje Shugden controversy. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 Subscribe Al Jazeera Top Story -- Revisits Court Case against Posts the Dalai Lama Comments Al Jazeera’s People and Power has named ‘The Dalai Lama: The Devil Within’ one of their top two stories of 2008. As a result, Al Jazeera is now Protector of Je featuring it again. Tsongkhapa's Tradition The reporter has added at the end of the updated report: "The case against the Dalai Lama is still with the courts. We hope to bring you an update later in the year." As the lawyer for the persecuted Shugden practitioners, Shree Sanjay Jain, explains: "It is certainly a case of religious discrimination in the sense that if within your sect of religion you say that this particular Deity ought not to be worshipped, and those persons who are willing to worship him you are trying to excommunicate them from the main stream of Buddhism, then it is a discrimination of worst kind." Al Jazeera adds: "No matter what the outcome of the court case, in a country Click on picture for Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden where millions of idols are worshipped, attempting to ban the Website Deity is an uphill battle. One in which many Buddhist monks have lost their faith in the spirit of the Dalai Lama." Search For a full transcript, see Al Jazeera News Documentary, October 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • Constructing the Secular: the Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community
    HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 36 Number 1 Article 12 May 2016 Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community Emmi Okada University of Tokyo, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Okada, Emmi. 2016. Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community. HIMALAYA 36(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol36/iss1/12 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Constructing the Secular: The Changing Relationship Between Religion and Politics in the Tibetan Exile Community Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the innumerable Tibetans in Dharamsala, India, without whose assistance the present research could not have been completed. She also wishes to acknowledge Professor David Gellner who supervised her MPhil thesis which formed the basis of this article, and the Tibetan Studies staff at the Oriental Institute at the University of Oxford,
    [Show full text]
  • Inner Mongolia
    Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: CHN30730 Country: China Date: 13 October 2006 Keywords: CHN30730 – Tibetan Buddhism – Government Treatment – Inner Mongolia This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Questions 1. Please provide some background information on this Huang Jiao group. 2. Please provide information on the Chinese government’s treatment of this group, especially in Mongolia. RESPONSE 1. Please provide some background information on this Huang Jiao group. The file indicates that the applicant is from Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The applicant claims to practice a religion from Tibet similar to Buddhism. According to the US Department of State, most ethnic Mongolians practice Tibetan Buddhism (US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – China, 15 September, Section 1 – Attachment 1). Huang Jiao means yellow religion in Chinese. One reference to huang jiao was found amongst the sources consulted. The article published in The Drama Review in 1989 reports that huang jiao is the yellow sect of Tibetan Buddhism (Liuyi, Qu et al 1989, ‘The Yi: Human Evolution Theatre’, The Drama Review, Vol 33, No 3, Autumn, p.105 – Attachment 2). The yellow sect of Tibetan Buddhism is more commonly known as Gelug but is also known as Geluk, Gelugpa, Gelukpa, Gelug pa, Geluk pa and the Yellow Hat sect.
    [Show full text]
  • During the Ganden Phodrang Period (1642-1959)
    MILITARY CULTURE IN TIBET DURING THE GANDEN PHODRANG PERIOD (1642-1959): THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TIBETAN AND OTHER ASIAN MILITARY TRADITIONS MONDAY 18TH, JUNE 2018 WOLFSON COLLEGE, HALDANE ROOM LINTON ROAD, OXFORD OX2 6UD MORNING 09.00 Tea/Coffee 09.15 Welcome by Ulrike Roesler (Oriental Institute, Oxford) 09.30 The History of Tibet’s Military Relations with her Neighbours from the 17th to 20th Centuries: An Overview George FitzHerbert and Alice Travers (CNRS, CRCAO, Paris) SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES Chair: Nicola Di Cosmo (Institute for Advance Study, Princeton) 10.00 A Tibetan Banner System? Making Sense of the Tibetan Military Institution during the 17th and 18th Centuries Qichen (Barton) Qian (Columbia University, New York) 10.30 Mongol and Tibetan Armies on the Transhimalayan Fronts in the Second Half of the 17th Century Federica Venturi (CNRS, CRCAO, Paris) 11.00 Tea/Coffee 11.15 Zunghar Military Techniques and Strategies in Tibet Hosung Shim (Indiana University, Bloomington) 11.45 Tibetan and Qing Troops in the Gurkha Wars (1788-1792) Ulrich Theobald (Tubingen University, Tubingen) 12.15-14.00 Lunch for all participants at Wolfson College AFTERNOON NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES Chair: Charles Ramble (EPHE, CRCAO, Paris) 14.00 Qing Garrison Temples in Tibet and the Cultural Politics of the Guandi/Gesar Synthesis in Inner Asia George FitzHerbert (CNRS, CRCAO, Paris) 14.30 The Career of a Tibetan Army General, Zur khang Sri gcod tshe brtan, after the 1793 Manchu Military Reforms Alice Travers (CNRS, CRCAO, Paris) 15.00
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Introduction to Buddhism and the Sakya Tradition
    A brief introduction to Buddhism and the Sakya tradition © 2016 Copyright © 2016 Chödung Karmo Translation Group www.chodungkarmo.org International Buddhist Academy Tinchuli–Boudha P.O. Box 23034 Kathmandu, Nepal www.internationalbuddhistacademy.org Contents Preface 5 1. Why Buddhism? 7 2. Buddhism 101 9 2.1. The basics of Buddhism 9 2.2. The Buddha, the Awakened One 12 2.3. His teaching: the Four Noble Truths 14 3. Tibetan Buddhism: compassion and skillful means 21 4. The Sakya tradition 25 4.1. A brief history 25 4.2. The teachings of the Sakya school 28 5. Appendices 35 5.1. A brief overview of different paths to awakening 35 5.2. Two short texts on Mahayana Mind Training 39 5.3. A mini-glossary of important terms 43 5.4. Some reference books 46 5 Preface This booklet is the first of what we hope will become a small series of introductory volumes on Buddhism in thought and practice. This volume was prepared by Christian Bernert, a member of the Chödung Karmo Translation Group, and is meant for interested newcomers with little or no background knowledge about Buddhism. It provides important information on the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of our tradition, and his teachings, and introduces the reader to the world of Tibetan Buddhism and the Sakya tradition in particular. It also includes the translation of two short yet profound texts on mind training characteristic of this school. We thank everyone for their contributions towards this publication, in particular Lama Rinchen Gyaltsen, Ven. Ngawang Tenzin, and Julia Stenzel for their comments and suggestions, Steven Rhodes for the editing, Cristina Vanza for the cover design, and the Khenchen Appey Foundation for its generous support.
    [Show full text]
  • Arresting Flows, Minting Coins, and Exerting Authority in Early Twentieth-Century Kham
    Victorianizing Guangxu: Arresting Flows, Minting Coins, and Exerting Authority in Early Twentieth-Century Kham Scott Relyea, Appalachian State University Abstract In the late Qing and early Republican eras, eastern Tibet (Kham) was a borderland on the cusp of political and economic change. Straddling Sichuan Province and central Tibet, it was coveted by both Chengdu and Lhasa. Informed by an absolutist conception of territorial sovereignty, Sichuan officials sought to exert exclusive authority in Kham by severing its inhabitants from regional and local influence. The resulting efforts to arrest the flow of rupees from British India and the flow of cultural identity entwined with Buddhism from Lhasa were grounded in two misperceptions: that Khampa opposition to Chinese rule was external, fostered solely by local monasteries as conduits of Lhasa’s spiritual authority, and that Sichuan could arrest such influence, the absence of which would legitimize both exclusive authority in Kham and regional assertions of sovereignty. The intersection of these misperceptions with the significance of Buddhism in Khampa identity determined the success of Sichuan’s policies and the focus of this article, the minting and circulation of the first and only Qing coin emblazoned with an image of the emperor. It was a flawed axiom of state and nation builders throughout the world that severing local cultural or spiritual influence was possible—or even necessary—to effect a borderland’s incorporation. Keywords: Sichuan, southwest China, Tibet, currency, Indian rupee, territorial sovereignty, Qing borderlands On December 24, 1904, after an arduous fourteen-week journey along the southern road linking Chengdu with Lhasa, recently appointed assistant amban (Imperial Resident) to Tibet Fengquan reached Batang, a lush green valley at the western edge of Sichuan on the province’s border with central Tibet.
    [Show full text]